the anti-slavery crusade-第20节

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ly　substituted　and　in　1858　became　the　accepted　title　of　the　party。　The　provision　for　two　territorial　governments　instead　of　one　carried　with　it　the　idea　of　a　continued　balance　between　slave　and　free　States；　Kansas；　being　on　a　geographical　parallel　with　the　slave　States；　would　probably　permit　slavery；　while　Nebraska　would　be　occupied　by　free…state　immigrants。　Though　this　was　a　commonly　accepted　view；　Eli　Thayer　of　Worcester；　Massachusetts；　and　a　few　others　took　a　different　view。　They　proposed　to　make　an　end　of　the　discussion　of　the　extension　of　slavery　by　sending　free　men　who　were　opposed　to　slavery　to　occupy　the　territory　open　for　settlement。　To　attain　this　object　they　organized　an　Emigrant　Aid　Company　incorporated　under　the　laws　of　the　State。　Even　before　the　bill　was　passed；　the　corporation　was　in　full　working　order。　Thayer　himself　traveled　extensively　throughout　the　Northern　States　stimulating　interest　in　western　emigration；　with　the　conviction　that　the　disturbing　question　could　be　peacefully　settled　in　this　way。　California　had　thus　been　saved　to　freedom；　why　not　all　other　Territories？　The　new　company　had　as　adviser　and　co…laborer　Dr。　Charles　Robinson；　who　had　crossed　the　Kansas　Territory　on　his　way　to　California　and　had　acquired　valuable　experience　in　the　art　of　state…building　under　peculiar　conditions。　The　first　party　sent　out　by　the　Emigrant　Aid　Company　arrived　in　Kansas　early　in　August；　1854；　and　selected　the　site　for　the　town　of　Lawrence。　During　the　later　months　of　the　year；　four　other　parties　were　sent　out；　in　all　numbering　nearly　seven　hundred。　Through　extensive　advertisement　by　the　company；　through　the　general　interest　in　the　subject　and　the　natural　flow　of　emigration　to　the　West；　Kansas　was　receiving　large　accessions　of　free…state　settlers。　Meanwhile　the　men　of　Missouri；　some　of　whom　had　striven　for　a　decade　to　secure　the　privilege　of　extending　slavery　into　the　new　Territory；　were　not　idle。　Instantly　upon　the　removal　of　legal　barriers；　they　occupied　adjacent　lands；　founded　towns；　staked　out　claims；　formed　plans　for　preempting　the　entire　region　and　for　forestalling　or　driving　out　all　intruders。　They　had　at　first　the　advantage　of　position；　for　they　did　not　find　it　difficult　to　maintain　two　homes；　one　in　Kansas　for　purposes　of　voting　and　fighting　and　another　in　Missouri　for　actual　residence。　Andrew　H。　Reeder；　a　Pennsylvania　Democrat　of　strong　pro…slavery　prejudices；　was　appointed　first　Governor　of　the　Territory。　When　he　arrived　in　Kansas　in　October；　1854；　there　were　already　several　thousand　settlers　on　the　ground　and　others　were　continually　arriving。　He　appointed　the　29th　of　November　for　the　election　of　a　delegate　to　Congress。　On　that　day　several　hundred　Missourians　came　into　the　Territory　and　voted。　There　was　no　violence　and　no　contest；　the　free…state　men　had　no　separate　candidate。　Notwithstanding　the　violence　of　language　used　by　opposing　factions；　notwithstanding　the　organization　of　secret　societies　pledged　to　drive　out　all　Northern　intruders；　there　was　no　serious　disturbance　until　March　30；　1855；　the　day　appointed　for　the　election　of　members　of　the　territorial　Legislature。　On　that　day　the　Missourians　came　full　five　thousand　strong；　armed　with　guns；　bowie…knives；　and　revolvers。　They　met　with　no　resistance　from　the　residents；　who　were　unarmed。　They　took　charge　of　the　precincts　and　chose　pro…slavery　delegates　with　one　exception。　Governor　Reeder　protested　and　recommended　to　the　precincts　the　filing　of　protests。　Only　seven　responded；　however；　and　in　these　cases　new　elections　were　held　and　contesting　delegates　elected。　The　Governor　issued　certificates　to　these　and　to　all　those　who　in　other　precincts　had　been　chosen　by　the　horde　from　Missouri。　When　the　Legislature　met　in　July；　the　seven　contests　were　decided　in　favor　of　the　pro…slavery　party；　the　single　freestate　member　resigned；　and　the　assembly　was　unanimous。　Governor　Reeder　fully　expected　that　President　Pierce　would　nullify　the　election；　and　to　this　end　he　made　a　journey　to　Washington　in　April。　On　the　way　he　delivered　a　public　address　at　Easton；　Pennsylvania；　describing　in　lurid　colors　the　outrage　which　had　been　perpetrated　upon　the　people　of　Kansas　by　the　〃border　ruffians〃　from　Missouri；　and　asserting　that　the　accounts　in　the　Northern　press　had　not　been　exaggerated。　While　Governor　Reeder　in　contact　with　the　actual　events　in　Kansas　was　becoming　an　active　Free…Boiler；　President　Pierce　in　association　with　Jefferson　Davis　and　others　of　his　party　was　developing　active　sympathies　with　the　people　of　western　Missouri。　To　the　President　this　invasion　of　territory　west　of　the　slave　State　by　Northern　men　aided　by　Northern　corporations　seemed　a　violation　of　the　Kansas…Nebraska　Act；　and　he　sought　to　induce　Reeder　to　resign。　This；　however；　the　Governor　positively　refused　to　do　unless　the　President　would　formally　approve　his　conduct　in　Kansasan　endorsement　which　required　more　fortitude　than　President　Pierce　possessed。　On　his　return　to　Kansas；　determined　to　do　what　he　could　to　protect　the　Kansas　people　from　injustice；　he　called　the　Legislature　to　meet　at　Pawnee；　a　point　far　removed　from　the　Missouri　border。　Immediately　upon　their　organization　at　that　place　the　members　of　the　Legislature　adjourned　to　meet　at　Shawnee；　near　the　border　of　Missouri。　The　Governor；　who　decided　that　this　action　was　illegal；　then　refused　to　recognize　the　Assembly　at　the　new　place。　A　deadlock　thus　ensued　which　was　broken　on　the　15th　of　August　by　the　removal　of　Governor　Reeder　and　the　appointment　of　Wilson　Shannon　of　Ohio　in　his　place。　In　the　meantime　the　territorial　Legislature　had　adjourned；　having　〃enacted〃　an　elaborate　proslavery　code　made　up　from　the　slave　code　of　Missouri　with　a　number　of　special　adaptations。　For　example；　it　was　made　a　penitentiary　offense　to　deny　by　speaking　or　writing；　or　by　printing；　or　by　introducing　any　printed　matter；　the　right　of　persons　to　hold　slaves　in　the　Territory；　no　man　was　eligible　to　jury　service　who　was　conscientiously　opposed　to　holding　slaves；　and　lawyers　were　bound　by　oath　to　support　the　territorial　statutes。　The　free…state　men；　with　the　approval　of　Reeder；　refused　to　recognize　the　Legislature　and　inaugurated　a　movement　in　the　fall　of　1855　to　adopt　a　constitution　and　to　organize　a　provisional　territorial　Government　preparatory　to　admission　as　a　State；　following　in　this　respect　the　procedure　in　California　and　Michigan。　A　convention　met　in　Topeka　in　October；　1855；　and　completed　on　the　11th　of　November　the　draft　of　a　constitution　which　prohibited　slavery。　On　the　15th　of　December　the　constitution　was　approved　by　a　practically　unanimous　vote；　only　free…state　men　taking　part　in　the　election。　A　month　later　a　Legislature　was　elected　and　at　the　same　time　Charles　Robinson　was　elected　Governor　of　the　new　commonwealth。　In　the　previous　October；　Reeder　had　been　chosen　Free…soil　delegate　to　Congress。　The　Topeka　freestate　Legislature　met　on　the　4th　of　March；　1856；　and　after　petitioning　Congress　to　admit　Kansas　under　the　Topeka　constitution；　adjourned　until　the　4th　of　July　pending　the　action　of　Congress。　Thus　at　the　end　of　two　years　two　distinct　Governments　had　come　into　existence　within　the　Territory　of　Kansas。　It　speaks　volumes　for　the　self…control　and　moderation　of　the　two　parties　that　no　hostile　encounter　had　occurred　between　the　contestants。　When　the　armed　Missourians　came　in　March；　1855；　the　unarmed　settlers　offered　no　resistance。　Afterward；　however；　they　supplied　themselves　with　Sharp's　rifles　and　organized　a　militia。　With　the　advent　of　Governor　Shannon　in　September；　1855；　the　proslavery　position　was　much　strengthened。　In　November；　in　a　quarrel　over　a　land　claim；　a　free…state　settler　by　the　name　of　Dow　was　killed。　The　murderer　escaped；　but　a　friend　of　the　victim　was　accused　of　uttering　threats　against　a　friend　of　the　murderer。　For　this　offense　a　posse　led　by　Sheriff　Jones；　a　Missourian；　seized　him；　and　would　have　carried　him　away　if　fourteen　freestate　men　had　not　〃persuaded〃　the　Sheriff　to　surrender　his　prisoner。　This　interference　was　accepted　by　the　Missourians　as　a　signal　for　battle。　The　rescuers　must　be　arrested　and　punished。　A　large　force　of　infuriated　Missourians　and　pro…slavery　settlers　assembled　for　a　raid　upon　the　town　of　Lawrence。　In　the　meantime　the　Lawrence　militia　planned　and　executed　a　systematic　defense　of　the　town。　When　the　two　armies　came　within　speaking　distance；　a　parley　ensued　in　which　the　Governor　took　a　leading　part　in　settling　the　affair　without　a　hostile　shot。　This　is　known　in　Kansas　history　as　the　〃Wakarusa　War。〃　The　progress　of　affairs　in　Kansas　was　followed　with　intense　interest　in　all　parts　of　the　country。　North　and　South　vied　with　each　other　in　the　encouragement　of　emigration　to　Kansas。　Colonel　Buford　of　Alabama　sold　a　large　number　of　slaves　and　devoted　the　proceeds　to　meeting　the　expense　of　conducting　a　troop　of　three　hundred　men　to　Kansas　in　the　winter　of　1856。　They　went　armed　with　〃the　sword　of　the　spirit；〃　and　all　provided　with　Bibles　supplied　by　the　leading　churches。　Arrived　in　the　territory；　they　were　duly　furnished　with　more　worldly　weapons　and　were　drilled　for　action。　About　the　same　time　a　parallel　incident　is　said　to　have　occurred　in　New　Haven；　Connecticut。　A　deacon　in　one　of　the　churches　had　enlisted　a　company　of　seventy　bound　for　Kansas。　A　meeting　was　he